This invention relates to a surgical needle possessing a silicone resin coating providing reduced tissue penetration force and to a method for manufacturing the needle.
The siliconization of metallic cutting edges of such articles as razor blades, hypodermic needles, scissors, scalpels and currettes has been known for some time.
U.S Pat. No. 3,574,673 discloses the silicone coating of a cutting edge employing a siliconization fluid containing a mixture of copolymerizable silicones made up of an aminoalkyl siloxane, specifically a (polyaminoalkyl) alkoxysilane, and a dimethylpolysiloxane.
Dow Corning Corporation's Bulletin 51-599A (Jul. 1986) describes Dow Corning.RTM. MDX4-4159 Fluid for siliconizing cutting edges such as those previously mentioned with an ambient temperature and humidity-curable mixture of aminoalkyl siloxane and a cyclosiloxane dissolved in a mixture of Stoddard solvent and isopropyl alcohol. It is recommended that the fluid be applied by dipping, wiping, spraying, etc., in the form of a dilute organic solution, 2 e.g., prepared with a solvent such as hexane, trichlorotrifluoroethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane or mineral spirits.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,521 describes a film-forming siloxane composition for application to the aforementioned cutting edge articles which contains a mixture of three reactive siloxanes together with a non-reactive lubricating siloxane polymer.